Is Blake Lively Trying to Use Her Mother for Pity Votes Amid Justin Baldoni Feud? Here’s What Fans Say

Trigger Warning: This article includes references to sexual abuse

Blake Lively faces backlash for discussing her mother's past trauma during her recent TIME100 gala speech. Lively's tearful address at the Gala has sparked a debate on social media, with her critics calling her out for using her mother's traumatic experience as a publicity stunt in light of her current lawsuit with It Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni.

In her address to the audience, the Gossip Girl alum spent considerable time discussing women's difficulties and recounted a personal anecdote about her mother. Lively shared that her mother, 77-year-old Willie Elaine McAlpin, endured brutal s*xual abuse by a co-worker and never had justice.

The actress defined womanhood as a shared process of sharing survival tactics, and that young girls inevitably learn to never feel completely safe, either at work, at home, or online. She lauded resilience as a "superpower."

But social media quickly criticized the speech. Several accused Lively of trying to get sympathy while saying nothing about domestic violence throughout promotions for It Ends With Us, a movie based on a domestically violent relationship.

During the movie's promotion, they mentioned more themed cocktails than the story's sensitive subject matter. "Why wasn't she having these speeches when she was promoting the movie?? Instead, she was promoting alcohol and naming drinks after the characters," an Instagram user wrote.

"Incredible how Blake Lively claims she's not going to speak on her legal mess with Justin Baldoni—yet still manages to stain his name by casually tying him to a speech about r*pe and shame!" another added.

Others also questioned the timing and motive of sharing such intimate information, referring to it as a form of image rehabilitation during the public spotlight surrounding the lawsuit.

The It Ends With Us trial is set for March 2026.

Disclaimer: If you need support or know someone who is struggling with domestic violence or assault or abuse, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist, NGO or speak to someone about it. There are several helplines available for the same.

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